Bicycle-skirt



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. M. MGCAULBY. BICYCLE SKIRT.

No. 567,191. Patented Sept. 8,1896.-

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'A. M. MoGAULEY.

BICYCLE SKIRT.

No. 567,191 Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

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NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ALICE M. MCCAULEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BICYCLE-SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.- 567,191, dated September 8, 1896.

Application filed October 10, 1895. Serial No. 565,219. (No model.)

T0 at"! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE M. MCOAULEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bicycle-Garments; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain'new and useful improvements in a bicycle-garment or dress for bicycle-riding; and it consists in the constructions hereinafter specified and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a separate view of the trousers portion of the garment, the front breadth being removed. Fig. 2 is' a front view of the garment completed, the trousers portion being indicated at the middle of the garment by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a view of thegarment in perspective, looking toward the rear of the garment. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line Fig. 5 is a view of the garment in side elevation. Fig. 6 is a view of a pattern for cutting the front breadth. Fig. 7 indicates the patterns from which the trousers portion of the garment may be made.

The aim of my invention is to provide a garment for bicycle-riding which shall give as much freedom to the wearer as the bloomers in common use and yet which may have all the appearance of a complete and ordinary skirt.

My invention in effect comprises in a single garment a combined bloomers and dress. The completed garment is formed of a divided skirt or trousers A, (shown separate in Fig. 1,) having a skirt or trousers-leg for each limb, as shown at A and A Each of the skirts or legs A A of the garmentis made full, so as to appear inside elevation like an ordinary skirt. These trousers or leg portions A A of the garment are united in the ordinary manner at the seat portion of the garment, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1.

A is the waistband, which, with the seat portion, is preferably divided at each side and provided with a cated at a.

In the formation of each of the trousers portions A and A the cloth is preferably cut to conform to the pattern indicated by the numerals 1 2 3 in Fig. 7. Pattern No. 1 is designed to form the front breadth 1 of each skirt or trousers-leg. Pattern No. 2 is designed to form the outer or side breadths 2 of each skirt or trousers-leg, which, as shown, is gored. Pattern No. 3 is designed to form the inner and rear breadth 3 of each of said skirts or legs of the garment. The garment, as out according to these patterns,-is made up with a seam 1, formed by stitching together the adjacent edges of the breadths 1 and 2, and with a seam 2, formed by stitching together the adjacent edges of the breadths 2 and 3*, said seams, as will be obvious, running from the bottom of each of the leg portions up to the waistband, thus uniting one straight edge to a bias edge by said seams, owing to the breadth 2 being cut on a gore, as above explained. By uniting a straight edge with a bias edge any sagging of the garment is prevented and the necessary fullness at the bottom is also provided for each skirt or leg of the garment. Another seam at 3 extends from -the bottom of each leg portion suitable fastening, as indiup to the crotch of the garment, said latter seam being formed by stitching together the adjacent edges of the breadths 1 and 3 when brought together to form each of the leg portions. Additional seams P extend from the crotch of the garment'up the front and back of the body portion thereof to the waistband, said latter seams being formed by stitching together the adjacent edges of the two trousers portions.

To give to the completed garment the ap pearance of anordinary single skirt, I provide the garment A with a front breadth A", the front breadth being secured at its side edges to the two legs or skirts A A respectively, of the trousers or divided-skirt portion A. I prefer that the front breadth A shall have a detachable engagement with the two skirt or trousers portions A A as by means of buttons, for example, as shown at a. Any other fastening, however, may be employed, as may be desired, and I would have it understood that the front breadth might be sewed or otherwise permanently fastened in place; but where the front breadth is made detachable it is evident that it may readily be removed, if desired, so that the wearer with the trousers or divided-skirt portion A may ride a gentlemans bicycle, if desired, as in case of accident, for example, to a ladys wheel. The trousers or divided-skirt portion of the garment A is designed to be full enough and loose enough so as to drape down at the rear of the garment in folds, concealing the opening or'separation of the two skirts or leg portions, yet permitting the wearer to sit upon the saddle of the bicycle without the garment being drawn away so as to reveal the divided skirts. The two skirt or leg portions A A should not, however, be so full or so wide as to be liable to flutter into the wheel. A garment so constructed covers the saddle entire without disclosing the division of the skirts or trousers-legs at the rear, while the front breadth A effectually conceals the divided-skirt or leg portions at the front of the garment. Thefront breadth effectually prevents the skirt portions A A from blowing up. The portions A A of the garment I design to provide with tape or cord 13, inclosed in a suitable casing or hem, whereby the lower extremities thereof may be drawn together about the limbs of the wearer in case it should be desired to use the riding-habit without the front breadth or portions A adapt the costume for a house or office dress when not used in connection with awheel, I provide the two skirts or trousers portions A A with any desired fastenings, as indicated at ta which may readily be secured to more effectually prevent any gaping of the garment at the rear of the skirts. The divided-skirt portion, with the front breadth, may be made of any desired length. In use bloomers are designed to be worn under the garment above described. A garment so constructed has all the freedom of movement of ordinary bloomers, together with the appearance of an ordinary single skirt. The front breadth is preferably provided with a waistband a The breadths of the fabric corresponding to the patterns 1 and 2 are provided with darts at the upper extremities, while the breadths corresponding to the pattern 3 are gathered or pleated at the upper extremity thereof to form the fullness in the back of the garment. The front breadth A may be provided with a pocket at. (Indicated in dotted lines iniFig. 2.)

WVhat I claim as my invention is-- A combined street and bicycle garment consisting of a body portion, and wide or full leg portions connectedthercto, the body and leg portions being provided with a row i of suitable fastenings down theirouter sides and the leg portions with suitable fastenings down their-inner sides that are adapted to engage with each other for the purpose of closing the garment from behind, combined with a detachable apron portion that is applied to the garmentin front, and provided along its two outer edges with fastenings to engage with the fastenings at the outer sides of the body and leg portions, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification-in the presence of two witnesses.

ALICE M. MCOAULEY. Vitnesses N. S. WRIGHT, M. A. MARTIN. 

